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Wednesday, 22 July 2015

202) Coinage of Gibraltar (a British Overseas Territory): An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set received from the Tower Mint, UK issued in 2010:

202) Coinage of Gibraltar (a British Overseas
Territory): An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set received from the Tower
Mint, UK issued in 2010:

The monetary unit in Gibraltar is the Pound Sterling.

Gibraltar derives its name from the Arabic “Jebel
Tariq” (meaning “Mountain
of Tariq”) which refers the “Rock
of Gibraltar” named after the Umayyad General Tariq ibn-Ziyad who led
Arabic forces into Iberia in 711 AD under the command of the Umayyad
Caliph Al-Walid I.

An earlier name given to Gibraltar was “Mons
Calpe” (Calpe means “hollow”) and it was recognised as one of the two
“Pillars of Hercules”. While one of the two Pillars of Hercules is
called the “Mons Calpe”, the other
Pillar is called the “Mons Abyla” or “Jebel Musa” on the African side of the Strait.

In 1501, after a history of Arabic
possession and later, passing through several other hands/rulers, Gibraltar
came into Spanish possession.

In 1704, Gibraltar was captured from the Spanish, by an Anglo-Dutch
fleet, representing the Grand Alliance, on behalf of Archduke Charles of
Austria in his campaign to become King of Spain.

Later in 1713, by the Treaty of Utrecht, the Grand Alliance ceded control of
Gibraltar to Britain. Since then,
Gibraltar is regarded as a British Overseas Territory.

Spain tried to recapture Gibraltar at least twice
in great force, because of its strategic importance, once during the Siege
of 1727 and again through the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779-1783),
but was unsuccessful on both occasions.

By 1805, Gibraltar was a key naval base for
the British Navy and the famous Battle of Trafalgar was fought against Spanish
and French Allied ships where Admiral Horatio Nelson’s small fleet
comprehensively defeated a numerically superior Allied Fleet.

In 1969, through a referendum, Gibraltar voted to remain British,
leading to Spain completely closing its border with Gibraltar and severing all
communication links.

In 1981, all Gibraltarians were granted full
British citizenship.

In 2002, Gibraltarians, again, overwhelmingly rejected a proposal of shared
sovereignty which was put before them by both Britain and Spain.

Later efforts to involve Spain in the
Administration of Gibraltar have also not yielded any results.

Historical Development of the
Gibraltar Coinage:

In 1704, at the
time it was captured by the Grand Alliance, Gibraltar used British and Spanish
coinage.

During 1825 – 1872 “the Real” or the Spanish
“Real
de Plata” was the Currency of Gibraltar along with British and Gibraltarian
coins.

However, in 1842, copper coins of half, one
and two quarts with the portrait of
Queen Victoria on the Obverse
and the key and triple Tower Emblem
of Gibraltar on the Reverse
also began circulating alongside.

From 1872, the Spanish Currency became the
sole legal tender in Gibraltar.

In 1898, the Spanish-American War led to
devaluation of the Spanish Peseta and the British
Pound was introduced as the only currency in Gibraltar both in coins and
Banknotes, although the Spanish Peseta continued to be accepted as
payment.

From 1968 to 1970, Cupro-nickel crowns with
the triple tower & key emblem were issued, primarily for use in casinos.

In 1971, Gibraltar adopted the decimal coinage system.

Since 1988, Gibraltar has issued its own
Banknotes and its own coins.

Gibraltar coinage since 1988:

Three Series of coins have been issued by Gibraltar since 1988:

The 1988 Series: coins in the denomination of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 pence and 1 Pound were
circulated, with a 2 pound coin being circulated in 1999.

The Gibraltar Currency Coin Collection, issued by the Government of
Gibraltar in 2010:

The front cover of the Coin Album
showing the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the Obverse of the Five Pound
coin, the Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom enveloping the Emblem of Gibraltar, which is an Overseas Territory
of the UK. On the cover is the legend “Official Legal Tender” on top and
Government of Gibraltar” on the bottom.

The back cover of the Coin Album
showing the Rock of Gibraltar. Also mentioned on the cover is “The Tower Mint”,
London, who are “Minters for the Government of Gibraltar”.

An inner page of the Coin Album
showing the Reverses of all the eight denominations of coins - 2 Pounds, 1
Pound, 50 Pence, 20 Pence, 10 Pence, 5 Pence, 2 Pence and 1 pence surrounding
the emblem of the UK enveloping the emblem of Gibraltar. The detailed descriptions
of all the coins from 5 Pounds to 1 Penny are given below:

On the Reverse
of the Five Pound Coin is
depicted the Rock of Gibraltar. On
the upper periphery if the inscription “GIBRALTAR”,
while on the lower periphery is mentioned the denomination of the coin “FIVE POUNDS”.

The Rock of Gibraltar: is also called
“Jebel Tariq” (“Mountain of Tariq”)
or “Penon de Gibraltar”, in Spanish.
It is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the South-western
tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. It is 426 metres or
1398 ft. high. Most of the Rock’s upper area is covered by a Nature Reserve,
which is home to over 300 Barbary Apes or Macaques. It also has a labyrinthine
network of tunnels.

An earlier name given to Gibraltar was “Mons Calpe” (Calpe means “hollow”) and
it was recognised as one of the two “Pillars of Hercules”. While one of the two
Pillars of Hercules is called the “Mons
Calpe”, the other Pillar is called the “Mons
Abyla” or “Jebel Musa” on the
African side of the Strait.

In the Ancient World, the two points marked the
limit of the known World, a myth originally publicised by the Phoenicians.

On the Reverse
of the Two Pound Coin is
depicted the Battle of Trafalgar-1805. On
the upper periphery if the inscription “BATTLE
OF TRAFALGAR 1805”, while on the lower periphery is mentioned the
denomination of the coin “TWO POUNDS”.
The image on this coin shows a dismasted “HMS
Victory”, Nelson’s Flagship being towed to Gibraltar after the battle, bearing
Nelson’s mortal remains, as it nears the “Rock of Gibraltar”.

The Battle of Trafalgar: Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson had called at the port of Gibraltar
several times prior to the famous “Battle of Trafalgar” (on the Southern tip of
Spain) which took place on 21.10.1805, which was fought close to Gibraltar,
where a famous victory was won by the British, but Nelson lost his life (The
battle was fought between 33 Allied ships of France and Spain against 33
British ships (27 ships of the line, 6 Frigates and smaller craft) as against
26 French and 15 Spanish ships (33 ships of the line, 8 Frigates and smaller
craft).

The British Fleet Commanders were – Admiral Horatio
Nelson (he was shot by a French musketeer during the battle & died
towards the end of the battle) and Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, while
the French Fleet was commanded by Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve (taken
Prisoner of War after the battle) and the Spanish fleet was under the Command
of Admiral Federico Gravina y Napoli (he sustained grievous injuries in
the battle and passed away months later).

At the end of the Battle, over 18 Allied ships (10
French ships captured and one destroyed & 11 Spanish ships were captured)
were lost or captured, as against none of the British ships).

The number of British casualties were – 458 dead
and 1208 wounded (total 1666) while the French losses were 2218 dead, 1155
wounded and about 4000 captured and the Spanish losses were 1025 dead, 1383
wounded and about 4000 captured.

In the aftermath of the battle, about 3000
prisoners were drowned in a storm.

Despite the British victory over the Franco-Spanish Navies, the Battle
of Trafalgar had negligible impact on the remainder of the “War of the Third
Coalition”. Less than two months later, Napoleon decisively defeated the
Third Coalition at the Battle of Austerlitz knocking Austria out of the war and
forcing dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire.

Although Trafalgar meant that France could no longer fight Britain at
sea, Napoleon proceeded to establish the “Continental System” so as to deny
Britain any trade with the Continent. The Napoleonic Wars continued for
another ten years after Trafalgar.

“Victory” at full sail during the
Battle of Trafalgar

An image of the dismasted French
ship Redoubtable during her valiant resistance at the Battle of Trafalgar,
surrounded from three sides by British ships, including the HMS Victory. At one
point during the fight soldiers and sailors in the French rigging on the
Redoubtable, fired at men exposed on Victory’s decks. A musket shot from
Redoubtable hit Nelson, knocking him to the deck and breaking his back. This
shot mortally wounded Nelson, but not before he was told that the battle was
won and 15 of the enemy ships had been captured.

This diorama at England’s
National Maritime Museum shows the free-for-all that raged for three hours
during the Battle of Trafalgar, near Gibraltar. Nelson’s Flagship, “Victory” is
at the left centre, enveloped in smoke. This image is from a book in my
personal library titled “SHIPS” published by TIME Life Science Library in 1970
& gifted to me by my late father Dr.J.N.Prasad on 15.11.1971.

“Victory” is seen here as it is
preserved in dry dock at Portsmouth, England.

A jungle of rigging, a five ton
anchor & open gun-ports reveal some of the stout armament of “Victory”
Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar. It was the most famous of the wooden ships of
the line and carried 104 cannon on five decks – 12 guns on the quarter deck, 4
guns on the Forecastle, 30 guns on the Upper Deck, 28 guns on the Middle Deck
and 30 guns on the Lower Deck, including
some that fired ponderous 32 pound balls. The 32 pounders were capable of
firing one round every two minutes at a point blank range of 364 metres.

On the Reverse
of the One Pound Coin is
depicted the Gibraltar skull. On
the upper periphery is given the denomination of the coin “ONE POUND” while below the image of the skull is inscribed “DISCOVERY OF NEANDERTHAL SKULL IN
GIBRALTAR 1848”.

Neanderthals of Gibraltar: These were among the first to be discovered by
modern scientists and may have been the last of their species.

The
skull of a Neanderthal woman,
(named Gibraltar 1) discovered
in Forbes Quarry in 1848 was only the second Neanderthal skull ever
found. Later, in 1926, a
second Neanderthal skull, that of a four year old child, (known as Gibraltar 2) was found at a rock shelter called the “Devil’s
Tower”, situated very close to the Forbes Quarry.

The Gibraltar find was that of the first adult
Neanderthal skull to be discovered, almost
eight years before the discovery of the skull (for which the species was named)
in Neandertal, Germany. It was only in 1862 that the Gibraltar discovery of the
skull was recognised as aNeanderthal
skull, but by then, Gibraltar had
lost the distinction of naming the species as the “Gibraltar Man”.

The
Neanderthals occupied ten sites on the Gibraltar Peninsula at the southern tip
of Iberia, which is believed to have one of the most densely populated
Neanderthal settlements anywhere in Europe.

The
caves and labyrinths in the Rock of Gibraltar which the Neanderthals had
inhabited have been excavated at length which has given tremendous insight on
their life-styles and the pre-historic landscape of the area. The Peninsula
stood on the edge of a fertile coastal plain, which is now submerged, which
supported a wide variety of flora and fauna which the Neanderthals used as
food.

Unlike
Northern Europe which underwent massive swings in its climate and was largely
uninhabitable for long periods, the far south Iberia enjoyed a stable and mild
climate for over 125000 years and became the refuge from the ice ages for
animals, plants and Neanderthals, who survived there for several thousands of
years longer than elsewhere.

About
25000 years ago, however, the climate changed drastically, disrupting the food
& shelter resources of the Neanderthals and possibly leading to their final
extinction.

On the Reverse
of the Fifty Pence Coin are
depicted ships of the Anglo-Dutch
Naval Fleet which are effecting the Capture of Gibraltar. On the
upper periphery is given the denomination of the coin “FIFTY PENCE” while below the image of the ships is inscribed
“CAPTURE OF GIBRALTAR 1704”.

The Capture of Gibraltar: In 1704,
Gibraltar was captured from the Spanish, by an Anglo-Dutch fleet, representing
the Grand Alliance, on behalf of Archduke Charles of Austria in his campaign to
become King of Spain.

On the Reverse of the Twenty Pence Coin is depicted the Four Keys to the Four Gates of Gibraltar. On
the upper periphery is given the denomination of the coin “TWENTY PENCE” while below the image of the Keys is mentioned
the denomination of the coin in numerals “20”.

During the Great
Siege (1779-1783), under great hardship, the garrison
withstood the assault and by February 1783, the siege was lifted. The defence
of Gibraltar was under the command of the Governor, General Sir George Eliott, who
defended Gibraltar successfully, against the combined Allied Force of France
and Spain and kept it under British control.

During the period
of the Great Siege, fearing that
there were Spanish & French collaborators/sympathisers within the four
gates of Gibraltar, General Eliott would carry the keys with him everywhere so
that they would not fall into the hands of the Collaborators/sympathisers who
could contrive to throw open the gates of the Fort to the besieging army. It was rumoured that he even slept with them
under his pillow at night so as to prevent/rule out any such eventuality.

The Ceremony of the Keys: This is a re-enactment of the locking of the four gates into
Gibraltar. During the Great Siege, the Governor, General Sir George
Eliott would carry the keys with him everywhere. It was rumoured that he even
slept with them under his pillow at night.

The image on this miniature stamp sheet shows Vice
Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, the Governor of Gibraltar (2009-2013) handing over
the four keys during the Ceremony of the Keys.

On the Reverse
of the Ten Pence Coin is
depicted the Koehler Depression
Carriage/Gun. On the upper periphery is given the denomination of
the coin “TEN PENCE” while
below the image of the Depression Carriage/Gun
is mentioned the inscription “THE
GREAT SIEGE 1779-1783” the denomination of the coin in numerals “10”.

The Great Siege (1779-1783): In July 1779, Gibraltar was besieged by an Allied
force of French and Spanish troops. By August 1779, it was clear that they
intended to starve out the garrison. The defenders held out despite all odds.
On 13.09.1782, the Allies initiated a grand attack involving about 100000 men,
48 ships and 450 cannon. Under great hardship, the garrison withstood the
assault and by February 1783, the siege was lifted. The Great Siege was the 14th
and last attempt to take Gibraltar by force, by means of a siege.

The Defence of Gibraltar was under the command of
the Governor, General Sir George Eliott who defended the Fort against the
combined Allied Force of France and Spain and kept Gibraltar under British
Rule.

The Koehler Depression Carriage/Gun: The Koehler
Depression Carriage was invented in February 1782 by Lieutenant
Koehler during the Great Siege (1779-1783). The height of the Rock coupled with
the proximity of the Spanish lines to Gibraltar meant that a steep angle was
required to fire down on the enemy lines. The method for stopping cannon balls
from rolling out of cannon barrels was to use tight wadding, however, the
conventional carriages could not withstand the power of the recoil from such a
steep angle of discharge. Koehler’s carriage overcame this problem and became
crucial in the Defence of Gibraltar throughout the Great Siege.

On the Reverse
of the Five Pence Coin is
depicted the Barbary Ape/Macaque. On
the upper periphery is given the denomination of the coin in numerals “5” while
below the image of the Barbary Ape is mentioned the denomination of the coin in
words “FIVE PENCE”.

An
image of the Barbary Ape with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background, from a
representation in a reference book titled “The Look-it-up Book of Mammals”
which was presented to me at the La Martiniere College, Lucknow, Annual
function held in 1973 for standing first in the Biology Group in Class X .

The Barbary Ape/Macaque:

The Barbary Macaque in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey
population in the European continent. Presently, there are some 300 individuals
found in the Upper Rock area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. The macaques are
currently managed by the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society
(GONHS). The monkeys receive a daily supply of food and water and are subjected
to regular health checks, so that they are in no danger of extinction on the
Rock & sustain their once dwindling population.

The monkeys which live in Gibraltar were taken
after the British occupation of the Rock. Their real home is in North Africa.
Because the Barbary macaque has no tail, it is called an Ape. But, in fact, it
is a tailless monkey. The locals refer to them as “monos” (meaning
“monkeys”) when conversing in Spanish or the local vernacular “Llanito”.

On the Reverse
of the Two Pence Coin are
depicted General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Admiral Andrew Cunningham and Vice-Admiral
Bertram Ramsay discussing Battle strategy. In the background is
depicted the Rock of Gibraltar.

On the upper periphery is given the denomination of
the coin in words “TWO PENCE”
while below the image of the three officers is mentioned the inscription “OPERATION TORCH 1942” and the
denomination of the coin in numerals “2”.

Operation
Torch (initially named “Operation Gymnast”) was a British-American invasion of French
North Africa during the North Africa campaign of the Second World War, which
commenced on 08.11.1942.

General
Dwight D. Eisenhower was given command of the operation and he set up his
headquarters in Gibraltar. The Allied Naval Commander of the Expeditionary
Force was Admiral Andrew Cunningham & his deputy Vice-Admiral Bertram
Ramsay was given charge of planning the amphibious landings.

On the Reverse
of the One Penny Coin is
depicted the Barbary Partridge. On
the upper periphery is given the denomination of the coin in numerals “1” while
below the image of the Partridge is mentioned the inscription the denomination
of the coin in words “ONE PENNY”.

The
Barbary Partridge (Alectoris
Barbara) is a game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the Order Galliformes,
gallinaceous birds.

This
partridge comes from North Africa and is also native to Gibraltar and the
Canary Islands. The Barbary Partridge is closely related to its western European
equivalent, the red-legged partridge.

The
Barbary Partridge is the National
Bird of Gibraltar.

An inner page of the Coin Album
showing the Obverses of Eight denominations of coins – 2 Pounds, 1 Pound, 50
Pence, 20 Pence, 10 Pence, 5 Pence, 2 Pence and 1 pence surrounding the emblem
of the UK enveloping the Emblem of Gibraltar. The Obverses show a crowned
portrait of Queen Elizabeth II facing right. On each of the coins is mentioned
the inscription “ELIZABETH II GIBRALTAR” & the year of issue 2010.

More about Gibraltar:

Gibraltar dominates the entrance to the
Mediterranean between the southern tip of Spain and the continent of Africa.
Both famous and enigmatic, Gibraltar contains some of the most extensive
military fortifications in Europe, spanning over 1200 years of Moorish, Spanish
and British history.

It has some of the finest caves in Europe as well
as the famous semi-wild Barbary Apes. Some of the other famous sights which are
quite popular are:

Upper Rock Nature Reserve: It is a
popular study area for botanists and bird watchers and has several caves,
tunnels, large military guns and the famous semi-wild Apes apart from several
places of historical and geological interest.

Town Area: The old Town Area is enclosed by impressive
fortress walls, the oldest being those of the Moorish Castle Complex. Narrow passages and steps which
climb steeply between buildings are seen in the upper part of the town as well
as heritage buildings and old churches.

The Town Area also includes the Gibraltar Museum which includes
several artefacts of military and geological interest including the remains of
the Neanderthal man.

South Area: Several
key historical sites are found in this Area including a 100 Ton Gun, Parson’s Lodge and the Bay where
Admiral Lord Nelson’s body was brought ashore when his damaged Flagship, HMS
Victory was towed there after the Battle of Trafalgar. Also, at the Southern
tip of Gibraltar
is the Europa Point Lighthouse
and King Fahd ben Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
mosque.

The mosque of King Fahd ben Abdul-Aziz Al Saud

East Side: On this side are many breath-taking views of
sheer cliffs and the fishing village of Catalan
Bay nestling beneath. The coast-line on this side is rugged and
spectacular towards the South. Access to the Eastern side of the Rock is via
the Devil’s Tower Road.

An Observation Tower known as the Devil’s Tower (which was
demolished in 1940) near the entrance to Eastern Beach gives the Road its name.

Bay of Gibraltar: This Bay is popular for dolphin
watching and has the highest concentration of dolphins in the Mediterranean.
The sea around Gibraltar has a huge number of ship-wrecks which are popular
with experienced divers.

Gibraltar Coat of Arms:

The motto below the Coat of Arms is “Montis Insignia Calpe” meaning “Badge of
the Rock of Gibraltar). The Coat of Arms was adopted in 1501, when Gibraltar
had passed into Spanish possession and Isabella I of Castile had issued a Royal
Warrant granting Gibraltar the Coat of Arms that it still uses today.

Flag of Gibraltar:

The
Flag Shows the Castle of Gibraltar and the Key to the City.

Gibraltar’s
National Day: is 10th September, Gibraltar having voted on
10th September 1969 to remain British.

(The 2010 Uncirculated Gibraltar Decimal Coin Set has come to my Coin Collection through the resources of Jayant Biswas. Coin & pictures scanned and article researched & written by Rajeev Prasad).

6 comments:

Thank you, Vineeta. Your sister lives in a place which has played a very important part in shaping the history of Europe - from the Arabic invasions, to Spanish rule, to the British-Dutch capture , the Naval Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars and it was the Allied Headquarters during the World War II in the campaign for North Africa. Best of all their currency & coinage depicts the most important portions of their recent history & flora & fauna and helped me in my hobby of "Discovery of the World" thru a country's coinage & currency.

Ramchandra Lalingkar has commented:"Very interesting information indeed. I was amused to read more about 'Barbary Ape/Macaque' in 'Wikipedia' and especially it's "Vestigial Tail" which is also being seen on the body of a few human beings !"

Thank you, Lalingkar sahab. The Barbary Macaque does have a Vestigial tail. Its original home is in Africa, from where the British brought him over to Gibraltar. The Gibraltar Macaque was facing near extinction, till present day efforts have somewhat salvaged its numbers. Also, this is the first time that I have a coin depicting a skull on it (the first "Neanderthal skull") found in Gibraltar, much before it was discovered in Neandertal, Germany.

About Me

I am Rajeev Prasad, a retired State Bank of India officer who had been collecting coins in a shoe box without having a serious interest. Only after quitting my job I got the time to take serious interest in developing my coin collection into a hobby. A pity, because I would have had more opportunity to lay my hands on more 'exclusive coins' while in the Bank. Anyway, as they say,better late than never. If you have any views to share with me regarding this blog , please contact me on my email rajeevprasad1208@gmail.com. I also have a twitter account @prasad_rajeev.
I had an opportunity to participate in a Documentary on the life and times of the 25 paise coin titled “Chal Basi Chavanni” (The four anna/twenty five paise coin passes away), aired by STAR NEWS on 29th and 30th June 2011. The programme helped in making many persons hold back onto their “chavannis”, the little round beauties, instead of returning them to Banks .